When I first joined, I wanted to write a fanfic about Kevin because I had a massive crush on him and I still do. The only problem was that I worried I wouldn't be able to do it all by myself. So I recruited somebody to help me because I believed that he knew the characters well enough to help me and he does. The creator of The Not-So Dynamic Duo, its dryideabat. It was only very recently that we were able to get together and start the first chapter. So I hope you enjoy it. Anyway, the comic is about Kevin and Sasha growing apart and eventually breaking up, with Sasha eventually drifting back into Fox's orbit, and a whole new character causing Kevin to fall head over heels in love from the first meeting. Other characters will be present also, but for now, this first chapter focuses on Kevin and Sasha with appearances from Ralph, Fido and Spo. Without any further ado, here's the first chapter.

It was a late spring afternoon in Babylon Gardens. The sun was shining brightly through the budding treetops on the horizon. Heavy rain had fallen the night before, leaving behind puddles that still had not fully evaporated on the roadsides. The smell of freshly-cut grass and wet wood wafted in the gentle breeze. Quaint little gardens of flowers adorned the neighborhood with a myriad of vibrant colors.

Currently, Kevin and Sasha were contentedly walking side-by-side on their way to the movie theater.

“Trust me, you’re gonna love this,” said Kevin.

“I guess so,” Sasha murmured, brushing her hair to the side. “I don’t really watch action movies, though daddy sometimes leaves them on at night. What’s this one called again?”

“A Pounce of Prevention,” Kevin replied. His pace quickened slightly with his growing excitement. “Yeah, this movie promises to deliver the two things missing in movies nowadays: tackling and cops with all the one-liners. In fact, I know one of the guys in the movie... Actually, I heard about him through one of the guys at the academy, whose owner’s brother-in-law was close friends with his cousin’s pet’s old roommate. Still, between him and that guy from The Shield, this is gonna be epic; the movie that I’ve been waiting for to hit the big screen.”

Sasha hesitated for a moment and smiled. “Well, if you say it should be good, then I too can hardly wait to see it. I’ll enjoy anything, so long as I’m with you.” The couple nuzzled affectionately as the sun set.

The movie theater was bustling with swarms of families, friends, and lovers of all ages. The line for tickets to A Pounce of Prevention alone extended halfway across the lobby.

While waiting on line, something caught Sasha’s attention. “So they did turn that into a movie!” she exclaimed. She stepped out of line to get a closer look. It was a poster for another movie playing for just one night.

Kevin gawked at the poster with a perplexed look on his face. “Canine Cibble?” he asked. His attention was split between Sasha and the dwindling number of people ahead of him. “What’s so special about that super-fattening goo and why would they turn it into a movie?”

Sasha brushed her hair aside and explained. “A while back, when I did that commercial for Canine Cibble, I wrote a movie script about a love triangle behind the scenes.” She paused for a moment as Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t worry; it was completely made-up, not based on anything I actually did. Anyway, Rock tried to sell the idea to a few studios, but never heard back from them. I just assumed that it wasn’t that good, but I guess Fox Studios saw its potential... Hmm... I wonder who they casted for my role.”

Kevin’s feet were burning underneath him as his turn approached. However, he saw how much this other movie really meant to Sasha; how her tail wagged as she stared at that poster. Furthermore, he was a bit curious as to what kind of story she could have written. So he turned to her with a smile and asked, “Alright, I’m sold; let’s go see Canine Cibble instead.”

“Really?” she shrieked with joy. “Oh, thank you, Kevie-bon!” Kevin crawled under the felt rope and the two of them held each close as they walked to the line for Canine Cibble.

“I can’t believe that the script that I threw together is gonna be played out on screen! I hoped that they picked good actors that can emote well!” Sasha screamed in pure joy.

Kevin put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m just impressed that you got an idea out on the big screen," Kevin replied. "The folks in Hollywood know a good story when they see one."

Sasha continues to gush about the screenplay that she had written. “Well I sure hope so. Its gonna be heads above that other movie that you wanted to see. This is gonna be the best movie ever!"

Kevin hesitated for a moment before answering with a smile. "Yeah, I'm sure it will be the movie of the year, full of action."

Sasha giggled at her boyfriend’s apparent cluelessness. “Oh no, this movie doesn’t have any action in it.” Sasha said as she happily looked up to Kevin as she held his hand. “Its all about the romance! A good ol’ fashioned mushy slow-build romance! Isn’t that great!” Sasha began jumping up and down while Kevin smiled nervously at her.

"Oh cool. I mean, I don't really watch those kinds of flicks, but I'll try anything once. Yeah, I'm totally pumped." Kevin said as some small drops of sweat ran down the back of his head. As the line begins to creep closer to the theater, Sasha looks at all of the posters of her movie and went over to one.

She proceeded to let out a girl scream. “Oh my Gosh! This is unbelievable! I didn’t think he could manage it!” Sasha said, referring to the dog actor that Rock managed to get in the lead.

Kevin wasn’t paying attention, as he was looking over at a poster of A Pounce of Prevention. "Sorry, who could manage what?" He asked when he saw Sasha freaking out over the poster.

“They got Dakota Wixted to play the role of the lead male! He is like, the best canine actor around! This is so amazing! I don’t think I can contain it!” Sasha begins to hyperventilate.

Kevin peered carefully at the poster. His jaw clenched slightly as he studied the lead male's average lanky build. "Not an ounce of muscle" he thought to himself. He looked back at Sasha and smiled. "I'm happy they got the right guy to bring your story to life." Kevin said as he was silently thankful that the Terrier wasn’t as big as he was and also silently wishing he could be watching his movie.

“Hey Kevin! Over here!” Just then, Kevin heard a familiar voice call his name. It was Fido. He was waiting on the line to see A Pounce of Prevention with Ralph who showed a stoic face as he looked over at the couple. Spo the mouse, Fido’s companion was in his hair and really not paying much attention to either dog in the opposite line.

The off-duty cops were currently directly across from each other in the lines as they waited for it to shorten so that they would be able to enter the respective theaters. Ralph had given Kevin a curious look. "What are you doing over there? I thought you of all would be dying to see this one." Ralph asked.

Kevin turned to face his superior. "Sasha and I are on line to see Canine Cibble" Kevin replied. "She wrote the script for it."

Fido's eyes widened with surprise. "You're kidding, that's incredible. I never knew you were a writer, Sasha."

Sasha smiled as she looked over at her former crush. “Oh well you know, its nothing really. I just came up with it on the fly. I was a bit worried it was gonna fly away from me though! Good thoughts just never seem to stay put.” Sasha said, oblivious to the fact that what he had just said didn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Spo rolled his eyes from the spot on Fido’s head. "Yep, there's the mindset of a real screenwriter," Spo mumbled from behind Fido's ear. Fido wanted to say something but couldn’t with Sasha right there next to him. Sasha, oblivious to everything, including her boyfriend’s mounting discomfort, gave a smile at the two cops.

“Why don’t you guys ditch that boring Pounce of whatever and come see my movie? I guarantee you that this movie is a lot more put together than that movie!” Sasha said cheerfully, not noticing Kevin grimacing at her forgetting the name.

The German Shepard cleared his throat. “Oh, we’d like to, but I have asked Fido here to observe this as a sort of training exercise; taking notes of what to do and what not to do in such situations." Ralph said carefully as Fido tried to avoid contact with his younger brother’s ex-girlfriend.

"That's our story and we're sticking with it," Spo sneered. With a slight of paw, Fido crammed a bar of chocolate in Spo's mouth without anyone noticing.

Sasha looked up, a bit confused although it was hard to tell since she didn’t really have many expressions most of the time. “Kevie-Bon, did you know that they were going to take notes on all of this? I had no idea that you could even take notes in a movie theater. If that’s the case we should totally take notes on Canine Cibble! That way I can write for its sequel!” Sasha rambled.

Kevin shuddered inward. "That sounds like an awesome idea," Kevin said. "But I left all my crayons and paper at the station.” Fido pinched the upper bridge of his nose. "I meant take notes in a figurative sense.” The line began to move. "Hey Fido, the line's moving, let's go," Ralph ordered. "Alright, we gotta go, see you after the movie" Fido said.

Sasha and Kevin both waved goodbye as the line to Canine Cibble moved up faster. Kevin seemed to be waving half-heartedly, but Sasha didn’t notice. “Our line is moving also. Hey Kevin, would you mind if you get us some popcorn? I always liked eating it during movies.” she asked innocently.

"Sure thing. I’ll get us a jumbo size. The doc still says I should eat a bit more." Although Kevin made a mental note in his mind to lift more weights to work off the popcorn he would be eating.

The line moved again and the two were almost into the theater. Voices could be heard from where the two was standing, as the previews hadn’t started yet. Kevin looked at Sasha and gave a small smile. Tonight was gonna be a LONG night for him.=========================================================================================

Thanks everyone. The praise should mostly go to Amazee Dayzee for having the ambition to make this idea work. I wouldn't have ever imagined Sasha and Kevin separating, but we carefully thought of elegant ways for this to happen, while eventually introducing a new face... and finally throwing poor Fox a bone (after all, he was the reason those two got together). Stay tuned for more drama.

Sat Nov 15, 2014 10:49 am

Amazee Dayzee

Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pmPosts: 8905

Re: The Winds of Change

To be honest, I already decided I liked Kevin when I saw him so I wanted a character with him in fanfic form. As for Kevin and Sasha being perfect, I think its their personalities, but that doesn't always mean you are compatible. Sasha and Fox have different personalities and they actually seem like a better fit. It was Fox that helped Sasha to get over her depression.

And here is chapter 2.=========================================================================================Kevin slowly walked up to the snack stand with a downcast expression on his face. By now, most of the people had already grabbed what they wanted and grabbed their seats in the theater to watch the previews. "I'll have one extra large popcorn... hold the butter," he ordered to the vendor.

The vendor looked down at him and smiled. “OK. That I can do.” the man said as he went over to the machine. “You seem a bit down."

"Well, let's just say that I had a sudden change of plans," Kevin sighed. "For weeks I waited for A Pounce of Prevention to come out, but now there's this other movie my girl wants to see. Canine Cibble. I never even saw any trailers for it, but now we're going to see that instead." Kevin said with a forlorn look. The vendor took note of this.

“I assume that you are going only to make your girl happy and that she is dragging you against your will?” He hazarded a guess.

Kevin looked back up at him, looking at the popcorn and the butter and trying to calculate how much exercise he would have to work off the excess. "Sort of... though I am a bit curious to see it, for she actually wrote the script for it... And of all things it is a love story."

The vendor went to the back to scoop up some popcorn. “You don’t look like the type that is into a mushy love story."

Kevin nodded his head yes. "Not really. But, I guess it's all about compromise. You know? Put your girl's wants before yours and dare yourself to try new things... BUT COME ON! A POUNCE OF PREVENTION!! The movie has the two things I live for: pouncing and prevention, which I'm also all for, being in law enforcement."

The vendor nearly dropped the popcorn upon hearing Kevin shout out loud near him. “You do realize that this is a theater right and you shouldn’t be shouting out here?” the vendor deadpanned.

As Kevin chuckled nervously, two new people made their way across the lobby. One was a short Corgi and the other was a large Husky and they both sported matching wedding rings. As soon as the corgi recognized the big Doberman, a look of fear speak across his face. "Oh no, it's that guy," the Corgi, named King whispered to the Husky, named Bailey, remembering his arrest. "Let's just skip the snacks and go to the movie. We don't want to miss the previews."”Bailey smiled at her husband and held his hand. “I know that he seems to be a bit overzealous, but he really is a nice guy at heart."

King sighed but still looked warily at the policeman who gave him a vicious tackle when arresting him in his human form for being a part of the kidnapping of Fox, Bailey’s cousin when he was a human named Joel, at least before a malevolent superpower being named Pete turned him into a dog not to punish him, but more to use him in his cosmic DnD game with his sister. He was glad that he never had to see them again, but Kevin just kept on bringing back memories of his arrest. “Okay," King mumbled. The two walked over to Kevin, who was currently resting his head on the counter while the vendor looked on in confusion. "Hey a-... what's going on pal...?" asked King who gave a nervous little laugh as he backed up a bit.

"Oh, it's nothing,” Kevin replied, composing himself. ”I was just venting a little. I'm here with Sasha to see Canine Cibble. What about you guys?" He asked, trying to push his feelings of dread about seeing said movie out of his mind.

“We’re here to see that movie also! This is such a nice coincidence! Its also nice that you wanted to see the movie with her.” Bailey gushed. Kevin looked away, feeling very flustered that someone from Babylon Gardens was actually seeing a glorified soap opera on the big screen.

"Yeah, a nice coincidence," Kevin parroted. "I originally wanted to see A Pounce of Prevention, but hey, who could resist.” Kevin asked, feeling a part of him dying inside for saying outlaid that he preferred to see Canine Cibble to A Pounce of Prevention.

"At least you only have to wait a couple of months for it to come out on DVD," King added. "Yeah that's true," Kevin nodded. "Oh, by the way Bailey, you know you're cousin's starting his training soon, right?"

Bailey nodded her head fervently, beaming with pride that her cousin was gonna become a cop. “Yeah! I was hoping that you would be able to help him along in that regards. I’m sure Fox would really appreciate it.” Bailey said happily, as he held King’s hand and looked down to him.

"I'll do my best, but the K-9 academy ain't easy. We look for only the best of the best, demanding 110 percent from our officers." Kevin said, putting his fist to his strong, muscular chest.

“He’s good with the test taking aspect of it, but despite the fact that he was able to beat up Bino a few times, he isn’t all that strong.” Sasha said as King held her closely

"Well, I have faith in him," King assured her. "What he lacks in physical strength, he more than makes up for in loyalty and determination." King said, thinking about all the times his friend had came through for him.

“You’re right. After everything that happened in Australia, I have no doubt that he is capable of handling himself. He definitely is ready.” Bailey said with a smile as she gave King a kiss on his head, remembering the whole catastrophe when Pete took her off to Australia in her husband’s place to play for him in a stupid game along with Fido’s girlfriend, Sabrina D’Angelo and her pet sister, Tarot. If it wasn’t for King, she probably still would have been playing the idiotic game. Both she, King and her cousin tried to push it to the back of their minds, but each of them still had nightmares about that, despite the fact that the two celestial beings had their powers stripped from them.

"Australia?" Kevin asked. He had never been out of the state before, but he knew that they would be some places that interested him that he wanted to see.

"It's a long story" King answered, not wanting to talk about the topic now or ever "Anyway, I think the movie's about to start."

King looked over to Bailey and then over towards the entrance doors. "Should we try to convince Fox to come in again, or should we let him cool off some more?" King asked Bailey.

“I think it would be a good idea to let him be alone for a while.” Bailey looked over to the doors were and sighed. “Its not fun being stood up."

When Kevin heard that his future student was stood up on a date, he gave both King and Bailey a sympathetic look. “Oh, poor guy" Kevin said sympathetically. "I guess I'll ease-off on the hazing process on his first day... at least a little. Speaking of which, I think my girl is wondering where I'm at."

Bailey looked up at Kevin and nodded. “That would be a good idea. Thanks Kevin. And I guess we will see you around.” Bailey said as she and King headed towards the theater as Kevin was given his popcorn from the vendor. “Four ninety-nine please.” the vendor said.

Kevin’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. ”Four hundred ninety-nine dollars?!" Kevin exclaimed. He felt his heart racing as though he had been running on he treadmill for an hour.

The vendor game Kevin a condescending look. “No, I mean four dollars and ninety-nine cents.” The vendor sighed. “Honestly do you think I can afford to sell my popcorn at those prices?"

"Oh... here's a five, keep the change." Kevin said, as he handed the money over, blushing a bit. He then proceeded back to the theater and sat by his patiently awaiting girlfriend just as the previews ended. He put his arm around her and shoveled a paw full of popcorn into his mouth. Now he just had to try to get through the night without running off having a nervous breakdown.=========================================================================================

=========================================================================================Sasha looked over to Kevin as the intro started and the lights dimmed. “This is so exciting. I’m so glad that we will be able to see Dakota Wixted on the big screen! And in my movie!” she squeed silently.

Kevin clenched his jaw slightly, but held back the urge to say “But the guy's a twinkie." Instead, he placed his arm around and over her shoulder and smiled.

The movie seemed to go on and on for several hours, when in fact, it had actually been going on for just a 2 and a half hours. After the movie ended, the two of them exited and Sasha was squealing with joy. “That movie was so great! Everything that was shown on screen was exactly the way that I had pictured it in my mind! The romance was just right. I just love how the movie built up the romance all slow! Wasn’t is great Kevie-Bon?”

Kevin thought a minute to chose his words carefully. ”Yeah, it was totally awesome," Kevin replied, scratching the back of his head. "It's just, what was the deal with the-?" Kevin began to say before he saw his friends exit from the opposite theater. “Hey, there you are," Fido said. He was just exiting the other movie with Ralph and Spo. "So, how was Canine Cibble?" he asked.

“It was fabulous! I’m sure that it was way much better than the Pounce of Protection that Kevin wanted to see! The plot played out exactly how I wanted it to play out!” Sasha gushed. Spo sneered. “Yeah, I’m sure that it was much better than the mud wrestling scene between Buster and Drackin”

“Well naturally Buster won. I mean, all of the odds were against Drackin. Buster was very well-built and Drackin would never be able to win in a fair fight. Oh, you were being sarcastic?” Spo said derisively. “You see Kevie-Bon? I would definitely be bored watching a movie like that. Its too action-y. A movie with strong characters great dialogue, a love to hate villain and vibrant scenes!” Sasha said brightly.

Kevin gawked at Sasha for a moment like she had three heads, but quickly readjusted his focus to Fido. ”So it was that good, huh Fido?" he asked with a tinge of sadness in his voice. “Eh, aside from that seen, it was kind of over-hyped,” Fido responded, his eyes looking away. He looked back to meet Kevin's quiet gaze. “Alright, it was definitely this summer’s blockbuster,” he confessed, figuring that he might as well divulge his view. “I have to say that I was a bit surprised. Among the explosions, car crashes, and a few wrestlers, there was a very deep convoluted plot. It was a roller-coaster ride brimming with emotion. Best of all, the true hero in all of this was a police dog; a ripped wrecking machine who kind of reminded me of you. He put everyone else before himself, making all the sacrifices for the right cause." The two officers paused for a moment and exchanged smiles. "Still, his commanding human was clearly not following protocol," Ralph chimed. "You don't just drive a semi full of nitro into the side of a building to flush out the perps. That's so reckless that I have half a mind to write the movie producers a ticket for just that scene."

Spo gave Ralph a look. “Only you would think of the negatives of what was clearly a great movie. Something is definitely up with you.” he muttered. “Well I’m sure that if you are into that sort of thing, then you would enjoy a movie like that. Myself? I can’t stand action. I have to leave the room when Daddy falls asleep in front of the TV watching an action flick. Explosions unnerve me. Hey do you think there will be a sequel?” Sasha said, changing the subject completely.

"Well, like so many films this day and age, they left it completely open-ended.” Fido replied.

“Oh goodie! If there is a sequel, I hope that they will let me write it again! I’m sure Kevin would be just dying to come see it with me!” Spo managed to stop himself from bursting out laughing.

"Sure thing, Sasha," Kevin assured her, though thoughts of running away screaming briefly raced through his mind. He ignored them and proceeded to nuzzle her tenderly. "It must be great that you know an actual movie writer," Fido commented. “It's the best thing ever," Kevin replied.

“I’m gonna have to pick a day to get started sometime. No ideas are coming to me. Maybe the three of you have some ideas?” Sasha asked innocently.

Fido contemplated for a moment before answering "Well, I did have this idea about a man who must fight a prince who was arranged to marry his beloved-" Everybody in the room knew where this was going. Even Sasha, though she forgot about it entirely as she beamed at people moving into the theater showing Canine Cibble for the next show which would be shown in 45 minutes. Ralph however didn’t want to rehash the past, specifically the wedding where he, the Wolf’s, Fido and the after for mentioned prince all got the stuffing beat out of them: the prince by the Wolf’s elderly uncle, Fido by the prince and Ralph himself by a couple of other Wolf family members. "Hey look at the time," Ralph interrupted. "Alright mutts... and lady, I suggest that we prepare to retire for the night." Ralph then shot Fido a stern look.

“Yeah that would be a good idea also. I got to get home Kevin, before daddy falls asleep. Walk me home?” Sasha asked sweetly. Spot gave a giant yawn. “I never knew that Kevin had such a good pokerface.” Spo said absent-mindedly. Sasha’s ears perked.

Noticing this, Fido sprung into action. "He's talking about the time we all played poker after work," he said, grinning while firmly patting Spo on the head. ”Yeah, Kevin really knows how to play his cards." Fido stated nervously. “Yeah... Which one is poker again?" Kevin asked. "Is it the one where you throw the cards in the air and the other person has to pick them up?” Ralph resisted the urge to face-paw. "Yes, that's what it is," Fido answered.

Sasha gave all three of them a dour look. “Just how stupid do you guys think that I am?” Spo wanted to say something, but a glare from Ralph shut him up.

Kevin took a deep breath before answering, "Look, Sasha, to be honest, I was really dead-set on seeing A Pounce of Prevention. I mean, you know? I love all things about pouncing... It's who I am. But, then we go see this other film instead that's so different from what I had been preparing myself to see for weeks on end... It just set me out of my high. To be honest, I'm not really into these kinds of romance things, and may never be, but I gave it a chance for you. I just wanted to make you happy, for that's what a boyfriend is supposed to do, right?"

Spo nearly lost his tiny temper. “You idiot! You aren’t supposed to spill your guts!” Spo said. Sasha crossed her arms. “But you were making me see your movie when you know I didn’t like it and I just wanted to be a good girlfriend for you. I wish that you could have been honest with me. If you would have said you didn’t like it but you wanted to try it, I would understand. Its what I told you. So hearing it out of the horse’s mouth though Spo isn’t a horse was really hurtful you know.” Sasha said with a crestfallen expression on her face.

"Now hold on a second," Kevin objected. "You never told me that you didn't want to see my movie. I only found out that you didn't like those sorts of things, like explosions and such, until you said so right after I decided to go see your movie instead." Kevin said, defending himself as best as he could.

“I guess you are right, but I didn’t wait until after the movie. Plus I actually wrote the script. I understand that you don’t like these sort of things, but I’d rather you be truthful then to just lie to me. I admit it was wrong for me not to tell you about my hesitation until we got here, but I was hoping we could see something we both liked." Sasha said, a bit upset since the movie meant a lot to her.

"You're right, I should have been truthful, though I really did want to give this a chance and try to like it... but I didn't... I-I'm sorry." Kevin looked ashamed of his outburst.

“Oh its OK Kevie-Bon! You know that I could never stay mad at you. Just as long as you never do this again I’m fine. Besides at least you came. Bino would REFUSE to step inside the theater!” Sasha gushed.

“Lets go home. We don’t need to talk about this anymore.” Sasha smiled, though there was still a little bit of doubt in her mind.

"Sounds good to me," Kevin replied, sharing a similar feeling of uncertainty. "It looks like a good night for a walk." After saying goodbye to his friends and watching them leave, Kevin and Sasha left also.=========================================================================================

Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2013 5:09 amPosts: 12375Location: Down under Down Under

Re: The Winds of Change

So the seeds of doubt are planted..

There are a couple of places where it's slightly confusing because you have multiple people talking on the same line. If you start a new line each time a new character speaks then you'll find it'll look and flow better.

There were a couple of spots where it could have been polished a little more. For instance "several hours" followed by "two and a half hours" - well, those two mean the same anyway so that statement could have been less tautological to give more of an impact. Proofreading it a couple of times will pick up things like that.

=========================================================================================“So despite everything that went on, I do hope that you had a good time Kevin.” Sasha said with a soft smile

"It was a new experience," Kevin replied with a smile. "I definitely learned a lot today. By the way, I almost forgot, our anniversary is coming up soon. Anything you like to do?"

Sasha grinned and let out a soft squeal. “I do have something that I would like to do, but only if it is OK with you! I’m not too sure that you’ll like but I would love to go bird watching sometime!”

Kevin pondered for a moment. "Bird watching, huh? I didn't even know that was a thing, so I can't say if I'm against or for it... D-do we chase the birds?"

Sasha gave him a confused look when Kevin asked her about chasing birds. “Uh no. All you do if just get some binoculars and then you try to find rare and exotic birds. Its pretty easy!” she stated

Kevin wrestled with his thoughts for a moment, not wanting to make the same mistake twice so soon. "To be honest, that sounds a little... boring. I mean, where's the chase? Where's the action?..."

Sasha thought for a moment and then turned back to him. “Well I guess you can chase the birds if you really want to. Its gonna be hard to watch them though.”

Kevin gave a nervous little smile not wanting to hurt Sasha’s feelings by revealing what he truly thought about her idea. ”Well, we can try it your way and just watch them first. Now that I think about it, I guess it's kind of like being on duty and watching out for suspects... in feather coats. Besides, I want to be someplace nice when I give you your present."

Sasha gave Kevin a heartfelt look and hugged Kevin really tight. “Ooooh Kevin-Bon! You got me a present! I can’t wait to see what it is! Thank you!” Sasha squeed and hugged him tight.

It was night and the crescent moon was smiling high in the velvet sky. The winds blew stiffly, swaying the bushes and playing with the wind chimes. Kevin and Sasha were halfway home when they noticed someone up ahead under the street lights. He was walking slowly, looking down at his feet while deep in thought. As they drew closer, they could make out that he was wearing a yellow bandanna and a brown leather bomber jacket.

Sasha looked at the figure as a look of familiarity came over her face. “Hey I think that is Fox! Look Kevin! Up ahead! Fox! Hey Fox!” Sasha called out waving her hands at him.

The young husky's ears perked up "Sasha? Oh hey, Sasha, hey Kevin," he answered, turning around with a gentle smile. "How nice to see you. I thought you'd both be back home by now."

Sasha took a step forward, which caused Fox to at least subconsciously admire her figure and blush when he realized what he was doing. The feelings were still there… “That is where we are heading. What about you? Where have you been at this late hour? And all by yourself also!” Sasha said as she looked around.

"Actually, I just came back from seeing Canine Cibble with King and Bailey.” Fox replied. "I kind of decided to linger around while they went-on ahead."

Kevin spoke up before thinking about what he was gonna say. ”Oh, on account of your date ditching you at the theater?” Kevin innocently replied, not realizing how insensitive he sounded.

"Yes, thanks for reminding me of that," Fox sighed.

“Kevin! That was not nice at all! I’m sorry that something like that happened to you Fox. You really are a great guy.” she gives a very warm smile

"Thanks, Sasha, but I like to think of it as all water under the bridge," Fox replied. “At first, I was really crestfallen over the whole ordeal and wanted to just go home and go to bed, but- on an impulse- I decided to see what this new movie was all about. Sufficed to say, I'm really glad I changed my mind. That movie, in spite of everything that happened, definitely made my night."

Sasha smiled proudly as she heard how her movie cheered up a sad friend. “Well I’m glad that the movie that I wrote and pitched to Rock Milton would be able to cheer you up when you were such a sad face over being dumped!” Sasha said happily, ignoring the fact that she had just raked Kevin over the coals for pointing out that he had been ditched.

"You wrote that?" Fox asked, his eyes wide with amazement. "King did say that the film was written by someone we knew, but wow. I-I never knew you were such a talented writer."

Sasha nodded and was happy to be complimented by a close friend. “Oh it was nothing. It was just something that I threw together in my spare time. If I had known that King and Bailey were gonna be there, me and Kevin could have joined them! Wouldn’t that have been fun Kevin? If we ALL saw the talented Dakota Wixted on screen?"

Kevin's cheeks warmed ever slightly as he restrained himself from being blunt. "That would have been something alright."

Sasha let out another cheerful squeal. “But it really means a lot to me that you were here to see the movie Fox! Do you think the others would want to see it also?” she asked, looking at him happily as he gave her his answer.

"Well, I don't know enough about the others anymore to speak for them," Fox replied. "Since my expulsion from the Good Ol' Dogs Club, I've been out of the loop of what's popular amongst Bino and his buddies. They're probably caught-up in that escapist thriller, A Pounce of Prevention. But anyone with an appreciation for classic story telling should not hesitate to see this film."

Kevin winced a bit upon hearing what Fox’s opinion was of the film. “I know right? I didn’t think that I had it in me to write a good screenplay but apparently I can! I guess I just needed some inspiration! And it comes in all sorts of places. I just scribbled down several thoughts and put them together. Who knew that the end result would be an engaging movie with unpredictable plot twists, strong openings, strong story, relatable characters and great dialogue!” she said wagging her tail.

Fox began to blush under his fur. He never imagined such talent ever coming so naturally to someone so innocent. Still, he kept this sudden nostalgic feeling under wraps, remembering that she had a boyfriend, who happened to be his future commanding officer. "Well, it's getting late. I best be going back," he said politely.

“So I guess we’ll see you around back home?” Sasha asked him as he began to leave

"Yeah, I'll be around; probably spending time with King," he answered as he walked away.

“Well see you back home. Bye Fox!” Sasha waved at him.

The husky walked away from his former love interest, trying to quell the feelings that were stirred up deep inside him again. He knew that he would never be able to act on his feelings. For all that he knew, Kevin and Sasha were perfect for each other.=========================================================================================

Please read my story with dryideabat and tell me what you think about it. Remember that each time you don't comment on my story, another Mr. Bigglesworth pops up planning to overrun Babylon Gardens. Won't you please think of Kingley?

=========================================================================================Three days later, Sasha and Kevin's anniversary came.As planned, they spent the afternoon at the bird sanctuary. The joyous cheers of warblers and sparrows went on incessantly as they darted from tree to tree.Currently, Sasha and Kevin were standing underneath a willow tree by a pond.Sasha was marveling at the colorful plumage of the various birds through her binoculars, while Kevin was waiting for an ideal opportunity to present his gift. ”So, see anything cool, Sasha?” he asked.

Sasha smiled at Kevin as she continued to look through her binoculars. “Actually I just saw a very pretty yellow bird fly away a few minutes ago. Isn’t this breathtaking Kevie-Bon?”

Kevin smiled back and answered. "Yeah, it is very nice here." As they began to walk deeper into the sanctuary, Kevin's ears perked up as the warbling grew louder. ”I can't say I've ever seen so many birds in one place before..." he said. "You don't suppose they're up to something, like you don't see anything suspicious?"

Sasha looked over to Kevin and gave him a confused look. “What do you mean? I think that they are just birds and don’t have any intention of doing anything bad you know? They are just so sweet.” Sasha smiled as two birds flew overhead.

["Yeah, you're right.” Kevin said. "But you know; when I see crowds of strangers chattering about in the woods, the cop in me says that something's up." Kevin said looking around suspiciously.

“I understand that Kevin, but you got to learn to relax and take in your surrounding.” Sasha said as she put the binoculars back to her eyes. “Ooooh! That’s a cute black and red bird!” Sasha said, not knowing the name of the birds but just enjoying watching them.

"I guess so," Kevin said, though he continued to peer around cautiously."Anyway, you do this kind of thing a lot?Like, do you know the names of the birds you're looking at?"

Sasha smiled at Kevin. “Oh Kevin, you are so cute! Of course I do this thing a lot. However I don’t know the name of the birds. I do this because it is relaxing!” she smiled at him as she followed another bird.

"Oh, OK..." Kevin said.Try as he might, he could not understand the merits of simply standing around looking at birds fly around.

Sasha continues to look around and see birds as one comes down and lands on a branch close to them. "Oh, wait, I know that one..It's a... a... robin."

The little bird turned around, puffed itself up, and angrily huffed, "My name is Reuben, not Robin! Can't any of you people get it right?"

“Oh I’m sorry.” Sasha frowned. “I had no idea that there was a such thing as a reuben bird.” Sasha said absent-mindedly.

"Hmm, it's been a while since I had a reuben.” Kevin said. "Are you called a reuben bird because you deliver reubens?" The small robin was flabbergasted."What in the...? D-do you guys have rabies?!"

Sasha gave a small smile at the bird. “No. We don’t. My dad got me shots when he first got me.” Sasha said, remembering the day and how painful each shot was. She also remembers her father trying to hit on the female receptionist who hauled off and smacked him one.

"I didn't know that, Sasha. So this means you can never be a mother?” Kevin asked, getting the two words confused. ”I said 'rabies,' not babies!” yelled the bird. ”I don't know which one of you is more mockingly dense!”

Sasha looked away as she got lost in thought. “You know, I never thought of it that way. I always wanted to have kids some day” she thought out loud and looked over to Kevin.

Kevin's eyes widened. “Oh, great.” groaned the robin. "I'm sure that they will be ivy league material." It sneered as it tried to resist the urge to poop on one of them.

“Don’t worry Kevin. I’m not pregnant but maybe someday.” she giggled as she rubbed her stomach, ignoring the bird

"That's it! I'm getting out of here before my IQ drops any further!” huffed the robin. He then shook himself and flew off into the trees, deciding that pooping on one of them wasn’t worth more brain cells dying.

“Gee, that birdy sure was a grumpy little thing wasn’t he?” Sasha asked, rubbing the back of her head.

"So I guess they're not all so sweet, huh" Kevin said as he looked at the spot where the robin was once occupied.

“No, but then again Bino could be like that sometimes but he had a nice soft center also.” Sasha said, thinking about it.

Kevin paused for a moment."What did you ever see in him.From what I gathered from Fido, he's a bit of a stuck-up jerk."

Sasha frowned at Kevin. “Don’t talk about him like that! Yes he was a bit mean sometimes but he only wanted to be liked. I know I didn’t make it very easy for him.” Sasha said, sighing as she thought about all the times she hit on Fido.

Sasha smiled and gave Kevin a big hug. “I’m so glad that you always wanna look out for me." she said as Kevin spun her around a few times.

The couple walked on until they came across a quiet little clearing. The cherry trees were in full blossom and formed a bright pink canopy overhead. Kevin saw the sparkle in Sasha's eyes and decided that it was the perfect moment to reveal his gift." So, I guess this is as good a place," he said as he handed her the box. "Happy anniversary!“ Kevin said as he gave the messy package wrapped in “Road Rovers” wrapping paper over to his smiling girlfriend.

“Oh goodie! Thank you Kevie-Bon! I’m sure that this gift is gonna be awesome!” she said as she squeezed him in a hug.

"Go ahead and open it!” Kevin urged on as he watched anxiously as Sasha examined the package with a look of delight.

“Oh you know I will!” Sasha said as she ripped open the wrapping on the box and opened it up. She took out the contents and frowned. “Kevin? What is this?"

Kevin gave a big grin. "It's a Wii Fit," Kevin said, not noticing his girlfriend’s obvious distaste at the game. ”It's a game that has you do actual exercises, like strength training and aerobics."

Sasha looked the game over a few times and then looked up at Kevin. “Its a great gift. Really great. Glad you could get it for me.” Sasha said half-heartedly faking a smile.

"Trust me, you're gonna love it," Kevin said.He sensed that something was wrong, that there was a hint of disappointment that could be heard in her voice, but he could not place his paw on it. "Yeah, Fido showed it to me and I knew that it would be the perfect present. Say, let's try it out when we get back."

Sasha pushed the gift to the back of her mind when she realized that she still had to give her gift. “Anyway, would you like to see what I got you?” Sasha asked with a BIG smile

"Sure!” Kevin said, filled with anticipation. He didn’t know what his girlfriend had gotten him, but he believed that it had to be something great, as they knew each other so well or so they thought. In the back of his mind, Kevin worried that he messed up again, but he pushed that idea aside and told himself he was just being paranoid.=========================================================================================

I have the next chapter up here. Once again please read or I'll send Ralph over there to arrest you.

=========================================================================================As soon as Sasha had neatly tucked away Kevin’s gift that he had given her with a look of aversion, she pulled out her present and gave it to Kevin. It was wrapped in bright pink wrapping paper and had a big pink bow on it. “Merry anniversary Kevin-Bon!”

Kevin didn’t care for the girly wrapping paper and winced at the big bow which seemed to be bigger than his head. "Oh yeah! I can't wait to see what it is!” Kevin said, brimming with excitement. As he ripped open the package, he glanced upon a fluffy stuffed unicorn. “Wow! A practice dummy! I really needed one of these ever since Larry down at the HQ didn't want to spar with me anymore!”

Sasha frowned at Kevin. “Its not a training dummy, its a doll. I got it because I thought it was soooo adorable!” Sasha grinned

"Oh, a... that's cool," Kevin said. He studied the doll curiously. "So, what am I supposed to do with it?" He asked, partly afraid of hearing the answer.

“You put it in your room and you sleep with it! It’s comforting!” Sasha gleamed, but then frowned. “You don’t like it?" Sasha frowned and stuck her upper lip out.

"I like it," Kevin replied, with some hesitation. He examined the wide stylized eyes of the doll more closely and shuttered a little inside. "It's just, well frankly, I've never really had anything like this before. During my rookie years, this kind of cutesie stuff was frowned upon." He said, remembering some of the hazing he pulled on some rookie members and then the long-winded lecture from Ralph.

“Well you aren’t a rookie anymore, so surely people won’t wanna make fun of you. Besides I think its perfect for you.” Sasha said realizing that he didn’t like it

"If you think so.” Kevin stated, with a half smile. "I'll find a place for it..." The awkward thought of his police officer owner, who also used to be a marine and was just as big and cut as he was, coming into his room and seeing the big Doberman with a cute little doll on his bed gripped his mind like a hungry tick.

“And I’m sure I’ll figure out how to use this Y Fit in do time also.” Sasha said, ignoring the thought of her falling on her face

"I can always show you how it works when we get back," Kevin suggested.

“That would work, but it would have to be when Daddy isn’t sleeping.” Sasha pointed out reading the box

"Yeah, the big guy can really get grumpy. He could probably stand to use it more than anyone.” Kevin said, stretching his back.

Sasha gave Kevin an angry look. “Don’t talk about my daddy like that! What’s he ever done to you? He might get really angry and yell, but he NEVER laid a hand on me or called me stupid or anything!" Sasha snapped, as she would not let anybody insult her owner. Not even her “Kevie-Bon”

"I never said he did" Kevin said, drawing back slightly. "I'm just saying, he really isn't nice guy, with all the yelling and stuff... And he does have a bit of a drinking problem. And didn't you say he locked you out that one time in the cold? I mean, I wouldn't put up with that if my owner ever did that to me." Kevin said, flashing back to his owner and knowing that he would rather die then to raise a hand to him. The two of them were like brothers more than owner and pet or even parent and child.

“That was an accident! He fell asleep and didn’t hear me call out or bang on the door! He would never purposely hurt me!” Sasha said, still a bit miffed at what her boyfriend was insinuating.

"But still, whether or not he simply fell asleep, it was very careless of him! Almost negligent!” Kevin said, growing slightly irritated by Sasha's insistence at defending the man. "He really should have taken the effort to stay up and wait for you to come home, like any responsible owner!"

Sasha gave Kevin a slightly more angrier look, which lead to the muscular doberman flinching a little bit. “He was tired! He really couldn’t have stayed up late because of that! And also, he was sad that he didn’t get any girls to come with him!” Sasha snapped

"He was sad that he didn't get any girls to come with him…” Kevin parroted, his expression becoming more concerned.

“Well wouldn’t you? It was Christmas! And I spent it with Bino. Who did he have?” Sasha pointed out

Kevin saw how upset Sasha was becoming and stood there silently for a few seconds. He struggled to reason how or why anyone would endure such treatment from a lowly person. It completely baffled and mortified him. However, it ceased to matter as it was clear that there was no way of convincing her to see things his way. Right now, it was there anniversary; a moment that was suppose to bring them closer. "Look, as said before, I just want what's best for you.” Kevin said, placing his paw on her shoulder.

Sasha’s expression immediately softened as she looked at Kevin and realized that he was being difficult because he cared. This was unlike Bino, whom she suspected enjoyed being difficult. But maybe it was in reaction to her trying to land his brother. A thought that she really couldn’t fathom now. How do you fall in love with someone not of your own species? She let the matter drop. “Oh Kevin, I know that you just want whats best for me, and I am so glad for that.” Sasha smiled as she hugged him

As the two hugged for several moments, a gust of wind blew overhead, causing the cherry blossom petals to fall. A lone thick cloud temporarily blotted out the sun, which signified that either every relationship was gonna be stormy at some point, or that this relationship wasn’t meant to be.=========================================================================================

Thanks. I try so hard to go over it but some do fall through the cracks. I know its a bit annoying to find some misspelled words but bear with me. I think that I can eventually get better at proofreading. Maybe

Here is another chapter that I am posting here. Once again, please or Grape with scratch your face off.

=========================================================================================Sasha held Kevin’s hand as they walked farther into the forest, as the cherry blossoms pedals fell on them from above, briefly covering the top of their heads in a wonderful pink hue. “Oh Kevin-Bon! Isn’t this just romantic? Its just the two of us walking along on the forest as the sun starts to lower to prepare for its sleep!”

Kevin smiled as they walked hand in hand throughout the forest. “I gotta say, this is kinda nice," Kevin replied softly, with a gentle smile as he breathed in the sweet aroma. His smile ever so subtly faded as he glanced down again at the stuffed unicorn in his paw. As they wandered further down the path, they spotted someone sitting atop of a stump; a lanky young rabbit writing in a diary.

Sasha squinted as she saw a rabbit sitting on the stump and smiled before calling to him. “Hey I know you! You live in Babylon Gardens! We live a few blocks from you! What is you name? Hmmmm. Jack? Mach? Tach?” The grey rabbit stopped writing to look up “It's Zach," he said politely.

“Oh sorry. I knew that it was something that rhymed with an ack. I know who you are but just not your name.” Sasha said sheepishly

"That's quite alright," Zach smiled, relieved that she didn't call him ‘The Opener of Ways.' "I know we never really had a chance to formally introduce each other, but I guess this is as good a time and place as ever. I believe you're name is Sasha, correct?"

Sasha nodded at him vigorously to inform him that was true. “Yes. I am Sasha, and this is my boyfriend over here Kevin. He’s a police dog and he likes to tackle suspect people.” Sasha said, wagging her tail"Oh, yes, I do recall hearing about you and your heroic exploits," Zach replied."Thank you and the K-9 unit for keeping Babylon Gardens safe." Kevin couldn’t help but grin. ”Just doing my duty.” Kevin said beaming with pride that he was acknowledged for what he did.

“So then Zach, what are you doing out here?” Any idea hit Sasha. “Do you have a girlfriend!?” She asked a little bit too excitedly.

Zach blushed, hesitant to answer the latter question. He didn’t know where he stood with her, but when he thought of her, butterflies took off in his stomach. At least he didn’t have his foot glowing like before. He really liked her, even if Tiger did hate her and called the both of them “Jessica Rabbit”. That is how Tiger earned the dislocated jaw. "Well, to answer your first question, I'm out here to simply absorb the tranquility of the wilderness.It's been a rough couple of years, but now I've finally found time to collect my thoughts in a nice quiet place outside of town."

Sasha nodded and looked at him as she understood why he would need to be alive. “Oh I can understand that. Sometimes I need to be alone and stay by myself to collect my thoughts also.” Sasha said.

"So, I take it you don't have a girlfriend then?" Kevin innocently assumed aloud. He really wasn’t one who knew any social etiquette when it came to asking questions.“Kevin! You shouldn’t ask people whether or not they have a girlfriend or a boyfriend. That can be really rude!” Sasha scolded and looked apologetically at Zach.

"Oh, sorry," Kevin said, shrinking back slightly. Zach scratched the back of his head and timidly glanced to the side. “That's quite alright. Frankly, I've come to terms with relationships being very...unpredictable. Amongst my experiences...through some close friends, I have learned to never outrule anything in regards to love; to always keep both your eyes and your heart open.Often times, the one you least expect yourself ever being with- the one who seems to contrast your personally- is the one who ultimately completes you."He paused for a moment, noticing the box in Sasha's arms."Say, is that a Wii fit?" he asked.

“Yeah it is. Kevin gave it to me for our anniversary but I don’t know how to use it.” Sasha laughed nervously as she shook the box.

"Don't worry, Sasha, I said I would show you how to use it some time," Kevin assured her. "Trust me, it's the best thing, you'll love it." Kevin said with enthusiasm though Zach noted that Sasha didn’t look that happy.

“Well I hope you are right. But then again, I’m sure you will come to love the unicorn that I gave you also! Show it to Zach!” Sasha smiled big at Kevin though it seemed a bit forced.

With a barely noticeable reluctance, Kevin slowly revealed the fluffy toy he was holding behind his back and smiled."Wow... that's very cute," Zach commented, slightly wincing at the awkward tension he felt in the air. "I-It definitely suits you." Zach said, unsure on what to say and a bit frightened that he might be tackled into submission. Kevin did have a reputation.

“I know right! He can show off his sensitive side by taking care of it!” Sasha said, not picking up on Kevin’s uncomfortableness.

Noticing the small bead of sweat rolling down Kevin's face, Zach hastily changed the subject. "In any case, this is the perfect place for a walk. And such a perfect evening too. You know, it's funny how I've learned to appreciate the splendor of night. I never stopped to realize until recently." Zach said, his thoughts once again turning towards Jessica.

“What made you begin to realize it?” Sasha asked, hoping that it was a romantic reason as she really did love to see people fall in love. She was still waiting for it to happen to her and Kevin though.

"Well... let's just say a very dear friend showed me.” Zach answered, blushing again while rubbing his feet. "I used to be terrified of the dark, the cold uncertainty of night, until circumstances with my friend had dared me to step out of my comfort zone and explore a whole new world." In her mind Sasha squealed out loud. “I just new that it had something to do with romance!” Meanwhile Kevin ignored the urge to gag. “A whole new world? What is this Aladdin? Seriously, choose a better metaphor. Hey! I know what a metaphor is! Why am I talking in my head? Oh hey, Sasha is about to say something!”

“That sounds so nice! Its great to have a friend that can help you in that regard!” Sasha smiled, though giving him a wistful look that told him that she knew what he meant by friend. Zach didn’t seem to notice.

"Yeah it's cool to have friends have your back.” Kevin added. "Anyway, I think all the birds have gone to bed...Except for maybe the owls.” Kevin said, his tail going wagging fast. ”Oh, owls, my favorite" Zach shivered a bit, knowing that he was on their food chain.

“Well I hope that you will be able to find your way home safely.” Sasha smiled again as she linked her arm around Kevin’s arms as they prepared to leave.

"Thanks, best of wishes to you two.” Zach replied as he placed a small lantern on the stump and prepared to resume writing in his diary. As he watched the couple walk away, he strayed deep in thought for a moment before scribbling down the most recent events in his diary.

“It’s funny how there always seems to be a contradiction to every truth we hold dear, especially to the truths regarding love. My journey for solitude in the woods revealed yet another example of this in the form of a blissful couple from my own home town. How perfectly innocent and energetic they seemed together; both willing to do anything to keep the other happy. They were truly committed to each other. However, after talking with them, I once again find myself questioning what defines love. How far should one go to keep a relationship alive and when does it all become in vain? Those two reminded me of two fanciful ships sailing side-by-side, approaching a split in the current that will inevitably part them toward different destinies. Yes, romance is all about compromise; about having one change the other for the better; but there are some cases where it was never meant to be. There are some things in nature that cannot change without true passion and motivation from within. When that passion is gone, a couple can either listlessly drift along together day after day or risk making a difficult decision and letting the currents part them.”

Zack finished writing in his diary and looked up. He estimated it was really late out now. He took his lantern and began to head back to the Arbelt residence. He just hoped that no owls would swoop down and sweep him away. Knowing his luck, it was a possibility.=========================================================================================

Guess what everybody! I'm giving you a late Christmas present! Here is another chapter of my and dryideabat's story. I hope you like it. Read and respond as it will be my Christmas gift that you all can give me!

=========================================================================================The next day Sasha and Kevin were walking down the road together hand and hand. Sasha was so excited. “I can’t believe that you are gonna take me to a restaurant Kevin! I’ve always wanted to go to someplace nice!”

Kevin grinned at her as they walked along. “Trust me, this place is the best!” Kevin declared with a spring in his step. "It has the best food ever, bar-none..." He paused for a moment. "Huh, I never really fully understood that expression 'bar-none.’”

Sasha gave her boyfriend a confused look. “You aren’t the only one, but I guess that it means that its nothing compared to a bar or something. Daddy likes bars!” Sasha said absent-mindedly.

Kevin simply shook his head. "I can't say I like bars, other than the ones in the gym.” Kevin said, not wanting to acknowledge the last part of Sasha’s comment and chew at old wounds. ”Regardless, I say that this place definitely beats any bar."

Sasha got all giddy when she heard that. “Then what are we waiting for? Lets go and see how great this place is!"

Kevin pumped his fist up in the air. "Alright, let's go double time!" Kevin shouted as he burst forward, nearly knocking over Sasha.

“Hey wait for me! I can’t run as fast as you!” Sasha said as she struggled to catch up

Kevin initially didn't hear her calling, but turned his head a few seconds later to notice her trailing behind. He slowed-down his pace enough for her to rejoin him.

Kevin turned to Sasha and wondered why she wasn’t running as fast. "Hey, what's wrong Sasha? Did you sprain your ankle or something." He asked, not quite understanding that she's not as fit as he

Sasha finally caught up to him and was almost out of breath. as she shook her head no at that comment “Sorry about that. I was never a fast runner."

Kevin looked at her sympathetically. “Oh, I didn't know that.” Kevin said. "Maybe I can help you with that someday. But anyway, we're almost there now.” Kevin eventually led her to a building with a sign that read 'The Meat Wagon' lit-up on the front. It was a steakhouse surrounded by a shopping complex. As soon as Sasha saw the place, she frowned at thought to herself. "Please don't tell me this is the place... Oh son of a biscuit" she said as she face pawed, but was glad that Kevin didn’t notice her do that and she hoped that this redneck slovenly place wasn’t the restaurant.

When Kevin started to walk towards the very building, Sasha’s lit up face drooped as she looked around. “So…. This is it huh? Not as nice as I thought it was gonna be. But it does look good. If you say its OK then its OK. I’m sure I will like it. It may not be fancy but I’m sure its good.” Sasha said chuckling nervously.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover!” Kevin said happily. Though truth be told, he didn’t even have a book. He was feeling a sense of deja vu though. He subconsciously detected tear she wasn’t looking forward to this. “Though we at least went to the movie with the twinkie that she wanted to see last time so this is only fair.” Kevin thought to himself. “This may not look like much, but it is a great place to go! Even Sergeant Ralph sometimes eats here!” Kevin said, his stubby little tail wagging. "The food is excellent and good for you. And in the end, isn't that all that matters?"

Sasha still looked a bit apprehensive, but decided to just suck it up for the sake of her boyfriend. “You know what? I guess you are right about that. Just as long as it tastes good, it will be fine.” Sasha smiles.

Filled with excited anticipation, Kevin hastily entered first, forgetting to keep the door open for Sasha. The inside was decorated with an old cowboy theme; the walls lined with lassos, cowboy hats, and saddles. The aroma of sizzling steak filled the entire building.

Sasha just barely avoided getting hit in the face with the glass door and she took one look around the restaurant. Her first thought was to scream like a 3-year old and run off the premisses, however she just merely smiled and said as happily as she could. “This place looks amazing.”

Kevin didn’t detect her perturbation. “See, I told you it was awesome!” Kevin said. "I mean, I never really cared to much for the old cowboy thing, but it's cool... This is the first time I've seen it this crowded." They had to speak loudly, as the place was packed with conversing families. A lady wearing a cowboy at the front entrance asked "You two together?" she asked in a dull monotonous tone.

The lady didn't smile or say anything, but coldly handed them a black pad. ”Uh, w-what is this?" Kevin asked.

“I assume that you haven’t been here before?” them lady asked with a bored expression on her face.

"Oh, I've been here a number of times," Kevin kindly replied. "But I've never been handed this before. Is this a new iPhone or something? Are we the 1000 customer?!" he said a bit too excitedly.

“No. Those devices beep and blink when its your turn. We have so many people here today that we can’t seat all of them at once.”

Kevin picked up on the lady’s tone but decided not to say anything. ”Okay, so we just hang around until this thing tells us it's our turn then?” Kevin asked.

“Or if you don’t wanna wait, you can just leave." The lady said, rolled her eyes at the muscular doberman.

"No, no, no we can wait." Kevin sensed the lady's growing irritation and did not appreciate her tone. However, he was too hungry to just walk away and wanted Sasha to enjoy this place so badly that he decided to bite the bullet and not cause a scene. Kevin and Sasha sat over by the side and patiently waited. "Sheesh, what got in her boots?" Kevin whispered over to Sasha.

Sasha smiled as best as she can and then whispered. “I’m not sure. Maybe she doesn’t wanna be here? Not that I don’t wanna be here, because I think this place is cool."

Kevin looked around as he leaned back. "This place definitely is cool!” Kevin said, staring up at an antique revolver mounted on the wall. "And it will get better when you finally sink your teeth into one of their steaks."

Sasha also saw the revolver and shuddered inaudibly then looked down at the black pad hoping it never beeped

"But, yeah, I don't understand how some people can be so grumpy all the time, especially in a place like this," Kevin went on, looking over at the lady standing by the front entrance.

Their pad beeped and lit up. Part of Sasha hoped that Kevin didn’t see it. That way they could leave and go somewhere that had a little bit more class.

Unfortunately for her, Kevin's ears twitched at the sound. "Was that the beeper? Is it our turn?" he asked excitedly.

Sasha nodded slowly, beginning to dread getting up and being sat at a table. She imagined that the food was probably something messy and Kevin would proceed to eat it by shoving his face in it.

"Alright! Let's get some food!" Kevin cheered as they both got up and started to walk into the dining room where the smell of beef hit them hard which nearly made Kevin start to drool.

The two of them were lead to a table near a rack of cowboy hats on the wall and they sat down. Sasha tried not to grimace as she looked around the room.

Kevin and Sasha waited a few moments before a coral-colored mutt came up to their table. "Welcome to The Meat Wagon,,,” the dog said in a less than enthusiastic fashion, not even looking at the couple. "My name is Tiger and I'll be waiting on you tonight."

Sasha looked up and waved. “Hi Tiger! Fancy running into you here! Here Kevin! Look who it is! Isn’t this a great coincidence?”

As Kevin and Tiger made eye contact, they both recoiled in surprise. "You again?!" they both gasped in unison. Kevin's eyes narrowed at the meek mutt, who shielded himself behind the menus he was holding. Of course, Sasha had no clue that Tiger was the reason that Ralph and Kevin had splinters in…places.

“The two of you know each other? Kevin why didn’t you tell me? We could have all spend time together!” Sasha says temporarily forgetting about the restaurant she was in and the fact that she didn’t like it

"You don't remember?!" Kevin asked. "He's the reason I was pulling splinters out of my butt that one week, when he blew up the Milton's studio!"

Sasha raised an eyebrow and looked at Tiger. “That was you?" She asked at Kevin looked ready to introduce him to all new kinds of pain. He wondered if any began with “P”.

"Yeah, that was me…” Tiger confessed, stepping closer to Sasha's side of the table. "But I served my time already, even though I still fail to see how it was my fault. How was I suppose to that would happen?!”

“He does have a point.” Sasha says, as Tiger kept on backing up and made plans to either, shove a cake in Kevin’s face, or use his girlfriend as a dog shield while he ran off screaming like a little girl.

"What are you defending him for?!" Kevin yelled. "He shouldn't have been resisting arrest in the first place! Let alone try to blind us!”

Everybody looks over to them as Kevin yells. “Kevin, is now really the time to start screaming at me?” Sasha says a bit testily.

Kevin stopped and looked around, shrinking back in embarrassment. He took a deep breath and composed himself. "I'm just saying, it wasn't a good time and I can't say I'm happy to see him, least of all serving my food.” Kevin admitted, worried that he would end up with a large quantity of Poop-o-Lax in it.

"Look, I'm sorry…” Tiger frowned, as he placed the menus on the table. "I know that was bad of me. I was a bad dog. But that was almost a year ago and, as I said, I've paid my debt to society. I'm a changed dog, now. In fact, my dad’s got me working here to help repay for the damages.” He said, though the paranoid conspiracy freak in him said it would take YEARS to make that kind of money and that Jerry just wanted him out of the house so he could make plans to have Zach usurp his place. He never did trust that rabbit.

“You see Kevie-Bon? Tiger just wants to change.” Sasha pointed out as Tiger forced a smile on his face over at Kevin.

Kevin looked up and sighed. "Fine, I guess everyone deserves a second chance." He said against his better judgement. He still felt that Tiger was a loose-cannon. "Alright, you won't regret this." Tiger said, smiling slightly. "I'll just leave you two a moment to decide what you like." Tiger said.

The minute the couple were out of earshot, Tiger began to mutter to himself about Kevin and how he ruined anything, and that someday when he wasn’t working he would get him back. He was on his list, along with Zach, Bino, Ralph, Rex, Boris, Yeltsin, Keene, Rock, Jessica and anybody else that stood in his way. He was gonna make them all roadkill. He then wondered how much it would cost to rent a PT Cruiser.=========================================================================================

Here is the next chapter. Please read and review or I'll send Tiger to your house with gasoline and a lighter!

=========================================================================================Sasha nodded and looked at the menu that Tiger gave her, trying to see if there was anything that she would like. It seemed that the only things on the menu where various meat dishes and Sasha just wanted a simple pasta dish.

Kevin's eyes lit up as he turned to the specials section. "Ah, I know what I'm getting. Their sirloin steaks are to die for; lean and juicy. But then again, good old-fashioned baby-back ribs are good and I think I deserve a bit of a treat this week. What about you Sasha?"

Sasha looked up at him quizzically before flipping through the menu. Do they have any pasta?”

“OK then! I will try that since you recommended it!” Sasha said, but shuttered inwardly

"Awesome!” Kevin said with a big smile. He had no clue that Sasha was imagining a large mound of meat with all different kinds of messy sauces on a sloppy bun.

“Yeah and I’m sure it will be tasty. I never really had burgers before. Daddy usually burns them before we can eat and he never orders out.” Sasha said, remembering that one time he nearly burned down the house. Fox’s dad had to come in and put out the flames.

"Burgers are a nice treat; great for building muscles with their albino acids and all!” Kevin replied, mixing up ‘albino’ with ‘amino’.

“Is that a good thing? Last time I checked, albinos were pasty white with red eyes.” Sasha said, using her paw to pull the skin down under her eye

"Hmm, you're right Sasha!” Kevin said. "But I think these acids were simply invented by albinos.” A man at the next table cringed hearing the banter.

“Well that makes much more sense! As long as we don’t turn into one!” Sasha said as she took no notice of the man banging his head on the table next door.

Several minutes past before Tiger finally came back to take their order. He slowly walked up to the table with a long face.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Kevin asked, growing impatient with hunger. He wanted to dig into his food now! And while it was still hot and not all cold.

"Yeah, well, I got yelled at by the boss for taking a couple of ribs from an order..." Tiger sighed. "The guy ordered five racks, how the howl could he notice one or two were amiss?"

Sasha looked at Tiger and shook her head at him in disapproval. “Well you know it is pretty mean to eat somebody else’s food when they did’t even have one bite. Especially if they paid for it.” Sasha pointed out.

"I know, I know," Tiger said remorsefully. "I slipped... again; just another tiny lapse in judgment." Tiger laughed a little bit, but then noticed Kevin glaring at him.

"Yeah, you seem to have a growing record of those!” Kevin snarled. He was still a bit angry about the massive explosion that he caused, and the pain of all those splinters. Him and Ralph would have scars for years.

“Kevin! Calm down! He’s here to take our order! Don’t be so mean!” Sasha chided, looking at Tiger as he stepped back bit by bit.

"There you go defending him again!” Kevin snapped, though keeping it at a low volume. "In my book, that's strike two for this guy."

Sasha crossed her arms and started to get testy. “But here is neither the time no the place to bring this all up! He’s gonna serve us our food! And if we aren’t nice to him, we’ll have to leave him an even bigger tip.” Sasha pointed out a bit irritably

Kevin took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. His face stung from the aggravated tension. "Fine, I'll give him another chance!” he said. "I'll have an order of the baby-back ribs, but don't think I won't count."

"A fine choice!” Tiger said, nervously writing in his notepad, "And you Sasha?" he asked. In that back of his mind, he wondered if there was any Aflatoxin he could lace his food with.

“I guess I will have the True Grit burger. Does that come with anything to drink?" Sasha asked as she looked over at Tiger, having no clue what he was thinking about doing.

"Yes and it also comes with steak fries!” Tiger replied and grimaced, as he just knew she would be asking a follow-up question next about them being made of steak. Unfortunately, he was right.

“They have fries made of steak? I didn’t know that was possible.” Sasha said trying to think about it. Tiger inwardly groaned.

"I never knew that either!” Kevin chimed in. "Is it too late to change my order?" Kevin asked, thinking about how delicious they must have tasted.

A small drop of sweat formed on Tiger's temple. "No, they're fries made out of potato wedges, they're just..." He suddenly burst out in laughter, "Oh, I get it, you're both making a joke. That's funny, that's funny!” He laughed trying not to burst into annoyed tears. “I’ll murder your family.” he thought to himself looking at Kevin.

“If they are made of potato wedges, then why are they called steak fries?” Sasha asked, not noticing that Tiger was trying to hold himself back from calling her every nasty name in the book.

"Oh dog, you two aren't joking…” Tiger mumbled as he eyed a sharp knife. He wondered how the press would present a murder-suicide. ”Okay, so no steak fries then?"

Sasha quickly shook her head. “Well I would still like to try some. May go good with my burger.” Sasha said looking at the burger she ordered.

"So steak fries then..." Tiger said, still writing nervously as Kevin continued to sternly stare at him. "Alright, I'll be back with your order soon."

“OK then. Please don’t eat them OK?” Sasha said jovially as she looked at Tiger who was still a bit nervous as he felt Kevin’s eyes burn into his skull.

Tiger nods and quickly leaves, glad to be away from the two dogs who barely have a brain cell between them. He just hope that this would be all of the last time he had to deal with them, especially Kevin who scared him.=========================================================================================

Aww, you didn't use my idea of Kevin revealing that he's a cyborg from the future (Kevinator: model K-911). He was originally out to terminate Sasha ("Are you Sasha Hartford?") but somehow learned emotions, love, and all that other nonsense... Thank dog you didn't listen to me. That sounds even worse than this new Terminator movie coming out .

Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:45 am

Amazee Dayzee

Joined: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:24 pmPosts: 8905

Re: The Winds of Change

Oh don't worry. I never planned on listening to you. I hope you like show biz because the Osbornes are getting a new show and they need a bat. Oh Ozzy!

=========================================================================================Some time had passed as Kevin and Sasha patiently waited for their order. Despite the tumult from dozens of families and friends, an awkward silence fell over their table. Neither was very talkative out of fear of getting a rise out of the other. They mostly just tiredly stared down at their utensils Finally, after what seemed like hours, their food arrived with the drinks that they ordered. Kevin got a root beer and Sasha got a chocolate milkshake. Tiger carefully served the couple their entrees, which steamed with such an aroma. With a large grin on his face. trying to hide the fact that he was thinking of blowing the whole restaurant up, he said, "Well, bon appetite."

Sasha looked at her plate and was expecting her order to look messily and very unappetizing. What she saw was something she wasn’t expecting. “Oh wow! This looks good!” says Sasha who in absolutely surprised at how delicious the food looks. She then looks over at Tiger and misconstrues his grin. “You see Kevie-Bon! Tiger is happy for us since we got our food!"

"Of course, for at The Meat Wagon we strive to please!” Tiger declared exuberantly, though in reality thinking otherwise. He thought to himself, "I hate you all, but I'll get through this... My shift is almost over. Almost over... Just no more complaints from the peanut gallery please!"

Kevin speed counted his ribs and confirmed that they were all there and intact. "Alright, we're all good here," he said in a manner like a cop. Tiger let out a small exhale of relief.

Sasha began to chow down on her burger, surprised at how good it actually tasted. She took a few sips on her chocolate milkshake as she watched Kevin.

Kevin ate very reservedly; slower than he is accustomed to out of concern for Sasha's enjoyment. "So, you like your True Grit burger?" he asked.

Sasha answered with her mouth full. “You bet! At first I was a bit surprised that I liked it, but you were right Kevin, this IS delicious! I like it a lot! And I’m talking with food in my mouth aren’t I?" Sasha said as she swallowed her mouthful of food.

"Yeah, you kind of are.” Kevin chuckled. "But, you know what, I think I'll join you!” Just like that, he resumed eating at his usual pace. He inhaled every tender morsel he ripped it from the bone and licked his lips clean of the sauce.

Within a few minutes, Sasha was done with her burger and her milkshake. “Oh Kevin! That was so delicious! Can we get dessert!?” she asked with a sparkle in her eye

Kevin was still finishing the last of his ribs. "Wow, you're done already?" he asked in amazement. The two exchanged warm smiles. "Great, I'm so psyched that you enjoyed it. I'm not much of a dessert kind of guy, but hey, I've been good this week. Yeah, I'll gladly have something too."

Sasha looked around and saw Tiger and called him over. “Hey Tiger! Can you come over here?” Sasha waved to Tiger. “We want a dessert!”

Tiger tried to hide when he heard Sasha, but it was too late as she had already saw him and he went over to the table. "Dessert?" Tiger asked. The same large grin bolted across his face as he walked back to the table and handed them the desert menus, suppressing his aggravation that he can't go home just yet. "Um... Of course. Do you know what you would like?"

Kevin took a moment to carefully peruse the options which made Tiger more psychotic. "I don't know what to choose. What do you recommend Sasha?" Kevin said, not noticing Tiger was beginning to grit his teeth.

“I kind of like the chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream. Look at how good it looks!” Sasha said pointing to it on the menu.

"That looks pretty cool," Kevin replied, carefully looking at the pictures. "I guess I'll try that." Tiger began to write down the order fast, trying to get away from the two as quick as possible.

Just as Tiger finished writing it down and was about to leave, Kevin interrupted. "But, this strawberry cheesecake looks very nice too." He continued to carefully study his options. "Wow, I never looked at this side of the menu before. So many choices that it's hard to say. I've never tried any of them." Kevin said, surprised how good everything looked. ”Then just pick one at random," Tiger said, squeezing the pen and imagining that it was Kevin’s neck. "They're all good options that you can't go wrong.” Kevin smiled over at Sasha, "I think I'll have whatever you're having. Can't go wrong with that?" Kevin smiled at his girlfriend.

“Then the chocolate molten cake it is!” Sasha exclaimed. Tiger resisted the urge to bang his head as he just crossed that order down and then he had to rewrite it.

"Okay, death by choc- I mean two orders of chocolate molten cake," Tiger said, writing down quickly. "But wait!” Kevin interrupted again. "How big are these cakes? I mean, maybe we should split just one.” Kevin said, worrying about how much cake he would have to eat and what it would do to his physique. Tiger resisted the urge to moan.

"Technically, you get just a slice of cake that is about yay big.” Tiger gestured.”Huh, false advertising again my friend," Kevin said. "I guess that's not too big to finish by ourselves, right Sasha?" Kevin asked as Sasha was looking at the menu.

“Nope. I think that I can eat one piece no problem!” Sasha smiled as she looked back over to Tiger to confirm their orders.

"So, yes, two orders then," Kevin said. "Okay, so that's your final answer then?" Tiger asked, grinding his teeth more furiously than before. Kevin took a moment to answer. "Yes- eh no wait. Yes, that is what we want." he said as he leaned back in the booth.

“We’ll be happy with just that!” Sasha smiled warmly as Tiger was desperate just to get out of there before he did something he would regret.

Tiger nodded and then quickly dashed off. Once again, a prolonged period of time dragged on as Sasha and Kevin waited for their food. This time, they were comfortably enjoying each other's company as they discussed casual trivial matters. ”So, what football teams do you root for?" Kevin asked as he watched Sasha play with the straw from her milkshake.

“Football? Is that the one where you bounce a ball with your paw and try to shoot it into a large hole?" Sasha asked a bit confused on sports.

"No, I think that's basketball.” Kevin replied. "I mean football, as in the one where the guys wear helmets and such and tackle each other over something they call a pig skin... I don't think it's actually made of pig, unless it's a very sick pig with brown leathery skin. Still, it's a ball that the team has to advance into the other team's zone."

Sasha just nods pleasantly. “Oh, well I never really heard of that. Daddy simply watches something called a sit-com?” Sasha said, in a way that asked if Kevin knew what one was.

"Sit-com?" Kevin asked curiously. "Is that a computer that you sit on or something?" Kevin said, not getting his head around it.

"Maybe a bit too much," Kevin said as he thought about the time he almost broke his neck by stepping on a bottle.

“Hey you ordered a root beer. You’re almost like daddy!” Sasha says not knowing the can of worms she opened up

"Root beer is not alcoholic.” Kevin replied. "I don't know why it has the word 'beer' it is not the same thing. And I'm sure that you know that." Kevin said, slightly irritated.

“How could I know that? All I hear at home is beer so I just figured they would be the same.” Sasha said innocently

"Well they're not," Kevin said seriously. "Any way, I'm just saying that he should be careful how much of that stuff he drinks. I see the bottles lying around your house. And it's not fair to you that you have to go through all of this; constantly having to be his beer dog."

Sasha winced at the comment “I told you that I’m fine with that. He does love me even if he doesn’t show it that much. Can we please stop talking about it?” Sasha said a bit aggravated.

"Okay, let's drop it," Kevin said. "We sure do argue a lot, don't we?" Kevin said, noting that ever since the movie, all they seemed to be doing is arguing.

“Yeah. We do. I wonder why that is?” Sasha sighed, noting that she never saw Fido and Sabrina, whom she still couldn’t get her head around how they could be together, never arguing.

Kevin shook his head. "I really don't know. I mean, I see married couples bickering all of the time. Could it be that what love is all about?"

“I wouldn’t know. Daddy never has been married." Sasha said, because as much as he wanted a wife, no woman would really ever give him the time of day. She was glad that she had Kevin as a boyfriend, but they did argue a lot. She hoped that the could go back to enjoying each other soon.=========================================================================================

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